Fraternities and sororities at Indiana University have over 8000 members combined, each member having their unique story of how fraternity and sorority life has showcased their talents and interests. For many, time spent in Greek life is hard to describe and market on a professional resume, so we want to give you some tips on how to best do so. We found a great resource from Worcester Polytechnic Institute’s Career Development Center, and have highlighted some of its key points for you to take away. If you want more in depth tips, check out the linked resource.
1. What experiences are best featured on a resume for Greek life?
You can think about your time on any leadership roles or committees involved in planning or implementing programs. Also consider any philanthropy and community service your organization takes on and how you contribute. Finally, take a look at the membership requirements, such as GPA and disciplinary standing.
2. How do I talk about the leadership positions I had?
You can reference many things you took on as a leader. From presentations you delivered, to the projects you managed, you can discuss skills such as communication, organization, and coordination. These leadership experiences can be within your fraternity or sorority, or also extend beyond if you are involved in the governing councils like Interfraternity Council, Panhellenic Association, National Pan-Hellenic Council, and Multi-Cultural Greek Council. Keep in mind, you can always be specific about what your tasks resulted in, and quantify your results. We recommend the STAR (situation, task, action, result) format in your resume points.
3. What can I share from my time as a general member?
As part of an organization committed to specific ideals, you can mention your commitment to those values. Also, your time in Greek life probably took significant time out of your schedule, so consider talking about your time management and preparedness you needed to be successful in managing your conflicting responsibilities. If you served on a committee, this is a great specific task to include.
4. Any other general tips for the bullet points?
Keep in mind, you should try to quantify any of your accomplishments – if you had a philanthropy event, how many people did you host, or how much money did you raise? How often did you meet with your group, or how long did you provide service in the community? Also, focus on your action verbs starting the sentences. There is a handy list on the resource above, or you can find even more here. Avoid repetition, and be intentional about your choice of verbs.
5. How should Greek Life be formatted on the broad scope of the resume?
If you had significant leadership or other experiences, you can put Greek Life right with your other extracurriculars, internships, or jobs. If you feel it was not as instrumental in your professional development, consider placing it in your activities section. Additionally, Greek Life should not take up most of your space – spend 2-3 lines on your tasks and accomplishments and save the stories for your interview.
